Saudi Citizens Funding Iraq Insurgents

Iraqi Officials, U.S. Panel Says Saudis Sending 'Boxes Of Cash' To Sunni Militants

(AP)  Private Saudi citizens are giving millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq and much of the money is used to buy weapons, including shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles, according to key Iraqi officials and others familiar with the flow of cash.

Saudi government officials deny that any money from their country is being sent to Iraqis fighting the government and the U.S.-led coalition.

But the U.S. Iraq Study Group report released Wednesday said Saudis are a source of funding for Sunni Arab insurgents. Several truck drivers interviewed by The Associated Press described carrying boxes of cash from Saudi Arabia into Iraq, money they said was headed for insurgents.

Two high-ranking Iraqi officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity, told the AP most of the Saudi money comes from private donations, called zaqat, collected for Islamic causes and charities.

Some Saudis appear to know the money is headed to Iraq's insurgents, but others merely give it to clerics who channel it to anti-coalition forces, the officials said.

In one recent case, an Iraqi official said $25 million (euro18.8 million) in Saudi money went to a top Iraqi Sunni cleric and was used to buy weapons, including Strela, a Russian shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile. The missiles were purchased from someone in Romania, apparently through the black market, he said.

Overall, the Iraqi officials said, money has been pouring into Iraq from oil-rich Saudi Arabia, a Sunni bastion, since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq toppled the Sunni-controlled regime of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Saudi officials vehemently deny their country is a major source of financial support for the insurgents.

"There isn't any organized terror finance, and we will not permit any such unorganized acts," said Brig. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, a spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry. About a year ago the Saudi government set up a unit to track any "suspicious financial operations," he said.

But the Iraq Study Group said "funding for the Sunni insurgency comes from private individuals within Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states."

Saudi officials say they cracked down on zakat abuses, under pressure from the United States, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

The Iraqi officials, however, said some funding goes to Iraq's Sunni Arab political leadership, who then disburse it. Other money, they said, is funneled directly to insurgents. The distribution network includes Iraqi truck and bus drivers.

Several drivers interviewed by the AP in Middle East capitals said Saudis have been using religious events, like the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and a smaller pilgrimage, as cover for illicit money transfers. Some money, they said, is carried into Iraq on buses with returning pilgrims.

"They sent boxes full of dollars and asked me to deliver them to certain addresses in Iraq," said one driver, who gave his name only as Hussein, out of fear of reprisal. "I know it is being sent to the resistance, and if I don't take it with me, they will kill me."

He was told what was in the boxes, he said, to ensure he hid the money from authorities at the border.

The two Iraqi officials would not name specific Iraqi Sunnis who have received money from Saudi Arabia. But Iraq issued an arrest warrant for Harith al-Dhari, a Sunni opponent of the Iraqi government, shortly after he visited Saudi Arabia in October. He was accused of sectarian incitement.

[aeasus]

Divide and conquer.
If they do not want to live as 1 nation,put up borders. In time,when they smarten up,they can become whole again.

[ghomes1]

Alhamduliah, atleast the Muslims are waking up. GOD is with the believers and the religion of GOD is ISLAM. Falsehood and Innovation never prevails.

[mjv2944]

Ghomes 1

Does your God tell the Sunni to kill the Shiites? Your Islam is based on violence, hopefully some where along the line the moderates will step up to the plate. We all know that the Saudis only want our oil money and could care less about American people.

[olebd]

Alternative fuel is a matter of life or death for many. This tale is just another example. It's time to turn the tables and take care of ourselves in this country again. Let them give their oil to China or India. To H-E-L-L with them all!!!

[huskerarmy]

"Your Islam is based on violence..."

That's it... fight hate with more hate, violence with more violence. The extremists may end up getting us all killed in the end but at least we will have shown them!

[huskerarmy]

The Saudis are the friends of the Bush family that they don't like to talk about...

[swwils]

I think that all the wealthy in that region are funding the insurgents.They don't want Americans in their business.

mjv2944 wrote:

"Your Islam is based on violence.."

Wow - you must be really smart!!!

Here's a hint genius - religion has been used as a basis for violence for thousands of years.

Catholics, Jews, Muslims - they have all murdered, raped, oppressed and destroyed in the name of god.

GW Bush claims to be religious - and yet, he has no problem sending Americans (of all religions including his own) to their deaths.

Don't just blame the Muslims - Christians are just as bad.

God would be disappointed in them all. Especially you.

I wonder how much Bush money has gone to the insurgents?

[bluestardad]

These guys are Bush's family friend and James Baker defended in court the Saudi government against the 9/11 survivors.

[grumpas]

good call mcdazz! But, Christian's like to forget all of the violence that is done in their names! All religions are based on the premise our's is the only true religion, everyone else is wrong and going to burn in hell! All it does is encourage this kind of fanatical thinking. I always have said Saudia Arabia is not our friend I can believe they are funding most of it! Bush spirited a whole plane load of them out of the country before they could be questioned on 9/11!!! He wasn't interested in getting to the truth then, just making his own truth to the issue!

[patriotic9]

Wahhabism(The most strict form of sunni islam)is the official religion of Saudi Arabia.Wahbism is based on a concept known as AL WALA WAL BARA FILLAH(LOVE for the sake of ALLAH and HATRED for the sake of ALLAH).They are taught to hate CHRISTIANS and JEWS for pleasing their ALLAH.Their kids are taught in the SCHOOL that JEWS are APES and PIGS.
One thing which is really worth thinking of is if GOD really exists and BIBLE is the book revealed from GOD then why whatever happening in the world is contrary to the teachings of BIBLE.
BIBLE says "GOD bless those who bless ISRAEL and GOD curse those who curse ISRAEL".
Why those SAUDIs who curse ISRAEL and call them PIGS and APES,are the most sucessful and richest people in the world whereas UNITED STATES which is the NUMBER ONE SUPPORTER of ISRAEL is countinuosly going through hard time,deaths of AMERICAN SOLDIERS every day,Collapse of BUILDINGS full of people on 9/11,increase in the national debt upto 8.6 trillion DOLLARS,etc.More US casualties in IRAQ causes more instability in the region causes increase in OIL PRICES causes SAUDIs to get RICHER and RICHER every day cause SAUDIs to spend even more money on INSURGENTS.Isn't that contrary to what BIBLE has taught.Then what are the posibillities.Either God doesn't exists and all the things on the name of GOD are lie just like IRAQ's Weapons of Mass Destruction.If he does exists Bible is not a BOOK of GOD.

[cathaleen]

Saudi Arabia wants nothing more than to take control over the oil fields in Iraq. So they give the madmen money to kill each other. Which they love to do. It's real easy when you're dealing with this mentality.

[patriotic9]

cathaleen
"Saudi Arabia wants nothing more then to take control over the oil feilds in Iraq".
Saudi Arabia is the largest oil producing country in the world.Why would they care about Iraqi oil feilds.Even if United States leave Iraq,it's near to impossible for Saudi Arabia to sends her troops in Iraq to get control to their oil feild and for Iraqis who never accepted Americans in their country to accept Saudis as occupier of oil fields.
Christians are very small minorities in the Middle East.To impose the UNJSUT and RACIST views of CHRISTIANITY on the people of that region and to strictly make them believe that Human beings should not be treated on the basis of their actions and should be treated as GOD CHOSEN and GOD NEGLECTED on the basis of their RACE they are BORN IN ,and to make them believe by force that it was justified to bring people from different EUROPEAN COUNTRIES into PALESTINE to occupy their land by force when the PALESTINIANS had nothing to do with the CRIMES comited by HITLER on the name of an UNSEEN GOD is the cause of all the problems in the world.If EUROPEANS were not brought into Palestine after WWII because BIBLE says so,Alqaeda would not get enough recruiter to blow themselves up because KORAN says so.

[patriotic9]

When Gen.Tommy Frank was visiting Saudi Arabia,he was told by King Abdullah who was a Crown Prince at that time
"United States can have many friends in the Muslim world,Israel divides us".
Do you think the RADICAL CHRISTIANS who are the worst enemies of United States will ever care about the US interest which is based on OIL and STABLE OIL PRICES.I bet they will never care about United States.They will keep on supporting and protecting the EUROPEAN INVADERS in PALESTINE on the COST of AMERICAN MONEY,AMERICAN LIVES and UNITED STATES herself,as AMERICANS are NEGLECTED by their RACIST GOD whereas NON AMERICAN EUROPEAN INVADERS in PALESTINE are CHOSEN by their RACIST GOD,USA is an UNHOLY LAND whereas ISRAEL is a HOLY LAND,they won't care about the UNHOLY CONSTITUTION which separates CHURCH from STATE but care about the HOLY BIBLE which RACIALLY DISCRIMINATES AMERICANS by not promising them a SINGLE PENNY and promised NON AMERICANS a LAND IN THE MIDDLE EAST.If we don't kick GOD out of our POLITICS,we will be doomed.All the decisions based on religions have resulted in suffering to the AMERICAN PEOPLE and UNITED STATES,the latest example is the IRAQ INVASION which was to bring JESUS back in this world.Jesus didn't return but the ISLAMIC RADICALISM has spread in the MIDDLE EAST like it was never before.

[bushrocks1]

Would I send my son to this war? You might ask would I send him to World War II? Or Vietnam? Maybe you would distinguish those conflicts and whether you would send your son to fight in them. But that question is misdirected in a very important way: I can't command my son to go to war. He has to make that choice. So the better question would be: would I volunteer to fight in Iraq, WW II, Vietnam? Would I volunteer to fight in any war? Respond if drafted? I don%u2019t know. I'm not equivocating, only addressing that it is a hypothetical. To a hypothetical, I can answer, sure I'd fight. But I have nightmares of battle (from my past life as a Jacobite). So how do I feel toward those who do volunteer? Impressed and maturely knowing that many things go into their decision. But I do strongly believe that a country that can't find those men is doomed. The fact that we can find them is one reason why I say there is no failure in Iraq. Objectively, I also believe it for other reasons. An attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East is a bold, brilliant, noble effort, facing a high chance of failure. That's why I greatly respect and admire those who have made the attempt--the Bush administration. They have been resolute, something I have not seen in my lifetime. They may not succeed, for reasons outside their control or fault: traitors on the home front being a big one. Now those traitors have apparently occupied the high ground. Yet... we're still in Iraq. Why?...I'm waiting.

cathaleen wrote:

"Saudi Arabia wants nothing more than to take control over the oil fields in Iraq."

Saudi Arabia doesn't actually need Iraqs oil fields - it produces enough oil of it's own.

It would have been more factual (and truthful) for you to say "Bush wanted nothing more than to take control over the oil fields in Iraq".

Halliburton and the other companies that paid for Bush to become President have well and truly been paid back for their "support" of Bush.

And heck, it's only cost the American taxpayers a cool $400 billion dollars and almost 3000 American lives.

What are we all complaining about?

[patriotic9]

"Bush wanted nothing more then to take control over the oil feilds in Iraq".
I don't know that's true or whatever been told by BUSH's psychotic advisors like Pet Robertson,John Hagee is closer to reality.If you listen to those GOD-LOVING PSYCHOTICS,the sole purpose of IRAQ INVASION was to help the 2nd COMING of CHRIST.These NON-SENSE PSYCHOS live in the fantasy world of HOLY HALLUCINATION.They are waiting for Santa Clause to come on a flying horse and distribute candies or EASTER BUNNIES to help the US soldier's in Iraq.

[agnim]

Well duh!

What a revelation. NOT!

[pendragon679]

This should come as no surprise to anyone who's been paying attention for the past five years. It should further come as no surprise that the US has done nothing with regard to Saudi Arabia and its support of terrorism. After all, the Saudi royal family has been buddy-buddy with the Bushes for years; it was the Saudis who bailed out Dubya when his first business venture out of Harvard failed. And let's not forget that 14 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were Saudis.

[feelfree1]

nikosk1,

RE: "Don't forget: The Saudis and the Bushes are very close friends."

Good point. Why doesn't Bush just send the money 'direct', instead of messing around with a middle-man?

[feelfree1]

antoniorego,

Re: "ALL ARABS & MUSLIMS are EVIL."

You have all the wisdom and insight of a Pez dispenser!

[patriotic9]

We should attack Saudi Arabia but the first country we should attack and destroy is Israel.Nothing has hurt United States and American people then the ILLEGITIMATE and UNJUSTIFIED EXISTANCE of ISRAEL on the world map and United States support to her and the RADICAL CHRISTIANITY according to which the purpose of creation of the GOD-NEGLECTED AMERICAN's LIVES is nothing but to PROTECT SUPPORT,and BEING SLAVE and SERVANT of the SO-CALLED GOD-CHOSEN NON AMERICAN EUROPEAN INVADERS IN PALESTINE.RADICAL CHRISTIANS have seen AMERICANS dying in WORLD TRADE CENTER but they don't care as they are not CHOSEN by their RACIST and UNJUST GOD.They know if they keep on following their GOD's COMMAND of being slave of the so called GOD-CHOSEN,one day we'll have to see UNITED STATES major cities to be WIPED OFF by the NUKES sold to OSAMA BEEN FORGOTTEN(who was allowed to escape from TORA BORA by CHRISTIAN BUSH since he had to save MILITARY for IRAQ DEPLOYMENT to help the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST)by NORTH KOREA(Whose threat of building NUKES was completely ignored by the CHRISTIAN BUSH since it's so far from the MIDDLE EAST,invasion there couldn't help the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST)but they'll keep on protecting ISRAEL as ISRAEL is the HOLY LAND whereas USA is not.

[firststate]

antoniorego,

Re: "ALL ARABS & MUSLIMS are EVIL."

You have all the wisdom and insight of a Pez dispenser!
Posted by FeelFree1

FeelFree1 I must respectfully disagree. I would say that he should wish to have as much wisdom and insight of a Pez dispenser.

[lestb35]

Shouldn't this be grounds to deport Saudi's fromt his country. Saudi citizens are literally providing weapons to kill Americans. Who puts up with this. Saudi Arabia should crack down on terrorism or face American repercussion.

[patriotic9]

lestb35
Be practical.American repercussion is now a joke in the eyes of the world after United States defeat in IRAQ by those people who don't have NAVY,AIRFORCE,MARINE or ARMY.Bush is a JOKER and Bush's policies have made the ENTIRE United States a Comedy Central.
Saudis don't really need us as we need SAUDI OIL.They have found a much better market in China and India then United States.Chinese and Indians have quit driving bicylces and are driving cars like us.The combined population of China and India is more then the population of USA and EUROPEAN UNION COMBINED.
What we need to do practically is to kick CHRISTIANITY and BIBLE out of politics which are leading our country towards destructions.We need to start looking at American Interest based on OIL rather then baby sitting Israel.To take Oil in cheaper prices from Arabs and then to support their those enemies who were brought in Palestinian land after WWII to occupy it by force because BIBLE said so is as PSYCHOTIC as Bush calling NORTH KOREAN NUKES bluffing and attacking IRAQ with no WMDs to bring JESUS back to the world.

[lestb35]

Patriotic9, it sounds as though you advocate Iran invading Israel and kicking the Jews out of Middle East. How would that be a good thing? How violent and hateful can you get.And yes, I do think we shouldn't do business with Saudi's if they're not going to control their citizen's financing terrorists.

[firststate]

lestb35

It probably should be grounds to deport, but the Saudi royal family have been thick as thieves with 41 and the family for years and bailed 43's butt out when he ran his businesses into the ground, so not likely.

Yes they are literally providing weapons to kill Americans, much as their money provided osama been-forgotten the money needed for 9/11, refer above for reason they don't worry.

Saudi Arabia should crack down on terrorism but won't and has no fear of repercussion see above for partial reason, also consider Exxon-Mobil, Chevron, Halliburton, Arabian-American Oil Co.& Parsons, etc.

[patriotic9]

All the human beings living in this world are GOD-NEGLECTED PEOPLE because not being born in a RACE CHOSEN BY GOD and that's why have not been promised a single penny from GOD whereas those EUROPEANS who have been brought into PALESTINE after WWIII to occupy their land by force are GOD-CHOSEN PEOPLE because of being born in a RACE CHOSEN by GOD and that's why have been promised a LAND IN TH MIDDLE EAST.Human beings should not be treated on the basis of their actions but should be treated as GOD-CHOSEN or GOD-NEGLECTED on the basis of RACE or FAMILY they are born is.This IDEOLOGY is called RACISM and INJUSTICE.
Nobody has paid the price of RACISM and INJUSTICE more then us as AMERICANS.We were attacked on 9/11 because of our tax money going to those EUROPEAN INVADERS IN PALESTINE who have occupied the land of those who give us OIL in cheaper prices.We may get attacked by the same group by NUCLEAR BOMBS in the near future.Why should we care who is a jew,who is a christian,who is a hindu and so on.That's not the part of our constitution.Please tell me what was the justification of bringing EUROPEANS into Palestine when Palestinians had nothing to do with the crimes comited by HITLER.Don't give me a reason from a RELIGIOUS TEXT as my CONSTITUTION separates CHURCH from STATE.

[patriotic9]

I am sorry to say but Iran attacking Israel and kicking jews out of the MIDDLE EAST sounds better to me then anybody attacking USA with SIMULTANEOUS SUICIDE BOMBINGS in the MAJOR CITIES of UNITED STATES in which the bomb used will be the NUKES sold to OSAMA BEEN FORGOTTEN by NORTH KOREA.
Because of the NON-SENSE POLICIES of BUSH,we'll have to see that day.We can't control that at all period.Why should we as AMERICANS get involved in JEWISH ARAB CONFLICT and how it helps us or hurt us.How it hurts us we know that by every day casualties of our soldiers in IRAQ and thousands of deaths of our citizens in WORLD TRADE CENTER.
If jews are GOD-CHOSEN,then the GOD should be the one to protect them not the AMERICANS on the COST OF AMERICAN MONEY, AMERICAN LIVES and USA HERSELF.
All the policies based on RELIGION have been failed.The latest example is the IRAQ INVASION which was to help the second coming of CHRIST but ended up in making ISLAMIC RADICALISM so powerful like it was never before.

[lestb35]

Hi patriotic9, and firststate. Thanks for your intelligent and respectful posts. It makes me realize that we are really all on the same page. America first. The rest of the world need not expect us to bail them out any longer because we don't have the resources or will to do so. We disagree on this war but agree on the future of America.

[patriotic9]

lestb35
You are absolutely right.If we wanted to support Isael,we were supposed to do that in a smart way.We didn't do that.This is 21st century.Thousands of years old religious propheices can't help us winning this war in 21st century.Whenever we had made any decision solely on the basis of religion without using common sense at all,we had suffered a lot but never like Iraq invasion.
Saddam was a SECULAR DICTATOR who had killed his own people because they wanted to establish an EXTREMIST ISLAMIC STATE.ISLAMIC RADICALS didn't have to spend a single penny to remove SADDAM from power.Saddam was removed from power by our TAX DOLLARS and our great SOLDIER'S LIVES and those EXTREMIST SHIA RADICALS are given power who are taking our TAX MONEY on the name of REBUILDING IRAQ to establish an ISLAMIC EMPIREfrom IRAN in the EAST to LEBANON in the WEST to fulif the demand of 2nd coming of their FINAL IMAM anmed IMAM MEHDI about who they believe is gonna kill all the NON MUSLIMS.The killing of CHRISTAIN LEADER in LEBANON is the part of that game.The people who have been benifited from this war are ISLAMIC RADICALS,ARAB OIL BUISNESSES(specially SAUDIs)and the OIL COMPANIES in our country who doesn't care about anything more then their presonal financial interests.

[patriotic9]

It doesn't matter how much SHIA and SUNNI RADICALS hate each other,they both are united at one point which is their HATRED against WEST specially against United States.
Both SHIAs and SUNNIs have different way of operating war business which are evident from the way they are fighting in IRAQ.
Sunni Islam (specially WAHABISM)is based on a concept called AL WALA WAL BARA FILLAH(Love for the sake of ALLAH and HATRED for the SAKE of ALLAH).They are taught to hate all the UNBELIEVERS to please their ALLAH.The SHIA also belive in that same concept but their LOVE and HATRED is under covered in a concept called TUQIYYAH which means telling lie and fooling INFIDELS to harm them and kill them is the best action to please their GOD ALLAH.That's why SUNNIs started killing US troops from very begining of this conflict while SHIA showed a beautiful face in the begining till they acheived their goal of forming a RELIGIOUS EXTREMIST ISLAMIC STATE RUN under the commands of those IRANIAN AYATOLLAHs who consider us the GREATEST SATAN by our tax money on the name of REBUIDING IRAQ.If they were not united,Saudi king Abdullah who is the ruler of the most extremsit SUNNI WAHHABI COUNTRY would not invite MUQTADA AL SADR as a ROYAL GUEST in SAUDI ARABIA.Our myopic leaders were supposed to learn all these things before invading Iraq.I am worried,it might be too late for us now.But we need to do anything we can to fight ISLAMIC RADICALISM which is so powerful by the BUSH'S policies.

[grazinggoat]

Quote CBS: ''Two high-ranking Iraqi officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity, told the AP most of the Saudi money comes from private donations, called zaqat, collected for Islamic causes and charities.''

In another article somewhere on the internet it's said: ''Two high-ranking Iraqi officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity, told the AP most of the Israeli money comes from private donations, called tzedaka, collected for Judaic causes and charities.

[bellal-2009]

Posted by patriotic9 at 04:12 PM : Dec 09, 2006

This post was really interesting, patriotic9. Love and Hate for the sake of Allah, fooling infidels to kill them for Allah. Man we're screwed.

[grazinggoat]

Oh so similar but so reciprocal hateful...

[bellal-2009]

The population of Israel is 6 million. I say we kick out the illegal immigrants, deport the radical Muslims, and welcome the Israelis. They would be great new Americans. Then we'd never have to be bothered with teh Middle East again. They can live in their world of whatever it is.